


Demons Run

by HecatesKiss



Category: James Bond (Craig movies)
Genre: Alternate Universe - Soulmates, M/M, Soulmate Triad
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2017-10-20
Updated: 2017-10-23
Packaged: 2019-01-20 11:06:44
Rating: Explicit
Warnings: Graphic Depictions Of Violence
Chapters: 4
Words: 15,670
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/12431490
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/HecatesKiss/pseuds/HecatesKiss
Summary: In a world where soulmates can be found with the simple brush of fingers against skin, Double-Oh Agents wear gloves. They are sworn to Queen and Country, and any soulmate potential is killed before they are able to bond.When James almost spills coffee on a new member of Cyber Branch, skin brushes skin. The Potential is awakened. Yet James has a secret already. He and the partner he has worked with for several years, Alec, had already bonded. This Potential is a mate for them both. And now one must smuggle and hide the Potential from under the very people they are sworn to work for.When James is assigned the task of killing the Potential and bringing Alec back in, everything changes... for everyone.





	1. мальчик

**Author's Note:**

  * For [Boffin1710](https://archiveofourown.org/users/Boffin1710/gifts), [natalieashe](https://archiveofourown.org/users/natalieashe/gifts).



“ _Always give an Agent a wide berth. They are trained to kill. They do not have Soulmates. Consider them Soul Less and move on with your job._ ” ~ MI6 Handbook, _Policies Concerning the Double-Oh Division_.  
***

The car lurched and Elias Braford rocked forward and twisted, keeping his body between the new crowd of people getting _on_ and his laptop bag. He nudged his glasses up with an absent knuckle and knew he should get off at the next station.

The door hissed shut and the car lurched again. He moved with the sway of the vehicle and allowed his dark gaze to flick across the car of people. A thin, white wire snaked out from under his jacket and the faint strains of Sergei Rachmaninoff played through the one ear-bud he had tucked into his left ear.

The music was soothing. And he needed soothing this morning. He was starting his new job today. Tucked into his laptop bag, along with his personally encrypted laptop was a Scrabble Mug with the letter Q printed on it -- a gift from his Uni Mentor. The man had always accused him of stealing the Q’s out of the bag when they sat down to a friendly game of Scrabble.

The doors hissed open and Eli pushed his way forward, using a subtle elbow to clear a bit more room. Soon he was off the car and through the crowd, minding the stairs, walking with intent, tennis shoes shushing against the damp concrete. 

He emerged four blocks from his destination and glanced along at the businesses. He spotted a small tea shop and tucked the information away for later on as he walked briskly down the walk. He strolled casually through the front doors of number 85 Albert Embankment and slipped off his laptop bag and unpacked both laptop and mug and set them into their own bins. He slipped his keys loose and remembered the pendant he wore about his neck at the last moment, dropping them all in with the mug. Smiling slightly as he handed across his identification, he waited patiently.

It scanned and he stepped through. The alarms were silent and he stood still for the quick pat down. Once the guard had nodded, he picked up laptop, mug, and bag. He then walked to the lifts and hit the correct button for Technical Support Services. A dark haired young woman in a nice charcoal grey business suit slid into the lift next to him and he nodded politely.

“Hold the lift!” The command was barked and Eli stepped into the doors to prevent them from closing. The man that had called nodded his thanks and squeezed in. Eli allowed his gaze to flick over the bespoke navy suit and the paper cup of coffee cradled in a black gloved hand.

Eli’s gaze lingered for a moment on the thin black gloves that covered the man’s hands. Gloves inside of MI6 meant one thing. The man was a Double-oh Agent. They were the only ones that constantly wore gloves while inside the building. He remembered his orientation training. 

“ _Never offer your hand to an Agent in gloves. They will not take it._

_Do not hand anything to an Agent in gloves -- they will not accept it from you. Set down items and tell the Agent he or she may handle it._

_Always give an Agent a wide berth. They are trained to kill. They do not have Soulmates. Consider them Soul Less and move on with your job._ ”

Eli clipped his badge into place on his trousers and looked up as the man in navy swore. He twisted aside with simple grace born of having had a college roommate that liked to play with compounds that would eat through flesh. The other man had also pushed him aside, sleeve of cardigan and suit both riding back, skin grazing against his wrist. Coffee splashed against his trousers instead of across his hand. He passed off the tingling as his pulse rising at the close contact, which was supposed to be very rare. If not entirely unheard of.

“Sorry!” The woman said as the doors pinged open. She fled with a worried backwards glance. 

“Are you burned?” Bright blue eyes gazed at him, assessing. Eli shook his head. The lift pinged again and he blinked as the man glided out of his way and allowed Eli to escape. 

Making his way into the cubicle farm, he found his desk in the Cyber Division of TSS and booted up his desktop and then logged in. He set his bag into the footwell of his desk and glanced down at his watch. He was five minutes early.

An ominous rattling noise started in his desktop. He paused and stared at the computer. That was never a good sign.

“Huh. Sounds like a fan’s going.” The person with the cubical next to his commented as she dropped her bag and nudged it into the footwell of her desk.

“Do we have to wait til Maintenance can get around to it?” Eli asked, mentally dreading the thought of having to listen to that all day, along with the thought of _anyone_ else digging around inside his computer. To him it didn’t matter if it was a work machine in the middle of a field of sterile white cubicles. He prefered to do the work himself.

“God no. I’m Penelope by the way.” She held out her hand even as Eli shut the system down with a few keystrokes.

“Eli.” He responded, taking a deep breath before reaching out and shaking her hand with a grateful smile. He saw her frown briefly before she turned away. He shrugged slightly, used to the fact there was no Potential spark.

“You see the white center island with black, white and green bins under? All of it is straight parts. Black is brand new. Green is swapped within three months of first install. White is six months to a year old. We are expected to upkeep our own computers. The only time we don’t is if we have to change out a hard drive that is failing. Then we involve management.” 

“Thanks. Do I just pull the part I need?” Eli responded, nodding to show he understood, before he reached back and flipped the switch to shut off the computer. 

“Yes. In black, each part is in original packaging inside a red bag. Green or white has a paper slip detailing info. They all have a six digit code attached to the piece. Fill out the short paper form, and then snap a copy for digital records which you email to the maintenance guys for accounting purposes. Should be the third email down. The paper form stays with the bad part. Drop the bad part into the red bag, then put the bag and bad part in your outbox.” 

The system made sense to Eli, it was something similar to a hackerspace he’d once been part of as a kid. He slipped off his green cardigan and then snagged his laptop bag and fished out his set of precision electric blue aluminium screw drivers. He set them in reach before he undid the thumbscrews securing the side panel. 

Popping it loose, he sighed as he realized the fan that was dying had sounded as though it had come from the front. He reached back and flicked the switch and then booted up the computer again. He listened and winced. It was the front fan, and not the easy to access side fan.

Shutting down the computer again, he stared at the front of the computer for a few seconds and then reached up and carefully pried off the face of the boring black machine. The faceplate came off in a smooth plastic chunk. He laid it aside and then peered at the fan he would be switching out. It was a standard 120 mm. 

Eli walked to the center island and shifted through the drawers. He went first for the three to six month drawer. Sorting through his choices, he plucked out one that’s only complaint was “Orange LEDs… Really?!” It still had original packaging too. He knew the brand, and used it regularly. The fact that his tower was a black brick would make the LEDs irrelevant.

He changed out the bad fan for the new, screwing the fan into place with a small hum. He then flicked the switch and booted the machine for a third time. The fans were silent. He nudged open the thin drawer and pulled out the binder that held the maintenance log of the desktop. He skimmed through the two pages, noting how new over-all the machine was. He put the log back and examined the various components visually. He shook his head, realizing he could re-route the wires in a way that would not leave him with the appearance of a god awful tangle, but would tell _him_ instantly if somebody had been mucking about inside his system. He powered off the machine again, waited for the fans to stop spinning before he disconnected various wires and started to build a quick rat’s nest of connectors. 

“Ah, Mr. Branford! Wel-”

Eli twitched as a hand landed on his shoulder, someone approached him from behind. He jerked and his arm came up. He only allowed himself a wordless hiss of pain as a raw edge on the case carved a bloody furrow into his arm.

“I’m so sorry! I was just going to welcome you to Cyber and… oh god, do you need stitches? A plaster?” The man babbled. Eli clamped a hand over the wound and twisted around to glare.

“Well, seems as though TSS isn’t as bloodless as reputed to be. Franklin, piss off. I’ll drag the new Tech up for a look see by Medical. They forgot my pain meds… again.” A new voice drawled, faint accent tainting the syllables. Eli glanced over and frowned slightly when piercing green eyes met his confused hazel.

“I don’t honestly think --”

“Come along, _мальчик_.” The blond man growled, voice hoarser on the Russian word, at least Eli was pretty sure it was Russian. It was then that Eli noticed the brown leather gloves. This man too was a Double-oh. He sighed but snagged his laptop bag as he took a step forward. Nobody in Cyber branch let their laptops or tablets out of their sights. They even took them to the loo. He’d been warned.

“Very well, old man.” Eli gestured with his good hand, “Lead on.”

***

Back in the lift, Eli glanced down at the coffee stain and shook his head. “Idiots putting carpet in a lift. Takes so much longer to clean.” 

“Or one can simply rip out the carpet and replace it if it becomes sodden with blood, no?” The Agent asked as he leaned forward and pressed a button. The doors closed and the lift rose.

Stepping into the corridor, Eli was not prepared to be spun and pinned to the wall. His heart rate rose, but other than that, he remained still. He’d been warned that the Double-Ohs liked to “play” with those in Technical overall. He shivered as lips brushed his ear. “Do exactly as I tell you from this point forward, or you die here. Nod if you understand me.”

Eli nodded shortly, the hands holding him released and he stumbled and twisted around, hazel eyes wide. The Agent raised a single blond brow and pointed towards Medical’s double doors.

Medical was simple enough. The wound _was_ deep enough to require stitches, and the Double-oh remained with him frowning slightly as the stitches were applied with needle and medical grade sutures. 

“You aren’t squeamish about blood, are you, мальчик?” The Agent asked. Eli shook his head. The man hadn’t said he could speak, and he wasn’t entirely sure if this wasn’t just some elaborate form of hazing. 

“Good. You might survive longer here than some of the other boffins. Those that faint at the sight of blood tend to have short careers.” The smile didn’t reach those green eyes, but Eli responded with a smile of his own and flinched as the nurse doing his stitches stabbed him a little harder with the curved needle than was necessary.

“Ow. That would be living tissue, madam.” Eli snarked. The Agent chuckled. 

“This one has spunk.” The Agent commented. The woman only nodded as she taped down a gauze pad and then binned the needle connected to the rest of the suture line, and her gloves. She pitched the hemostat into the sterilization bin and sprayed down the tray. The nurse glanced at the Agent when he grabbed Eli by the elbow and helped him to his feet -- her blue eyes lingering on his gloved hands.

The Agent grabbed a handful of condoms from the bowl on the table in the center of Medical and winked at the nurse. He also snagged a jacket hanging from a coat rack near the door and shrugged into it. Using his larger frame, he herded Eli towards a stairwell, not saying a word. Eli stepped into the stairwell and the Agent waited only for the door to shut before he turned to the boffin.

“Listen to me very closely. We have exactly seven minutes to get down to a level that opens onto the car park. We have three after that to find a car, hotwire it, and get the hell out of Six. If we don’t manage to pull that off in under ten minutes total, you will be shot and killed in front of me.”

“Why?” Eli asked as the Agent pulled out a gun and checked it before holstering it again at his back.

The green eyed man pulled his right sleeve back. The white dress shirt underneath sported twin lines of blood dots exactly where Eli had just had stitches. He sucked in a breath, understanding thundering through him. 

“You are a Potential. We’re never given the option of bonding. Six and M, the bloody bitch, kills any before we can even _think_ of it. Now let’s move мальчик, before you get a bullet between your pretty eyes.” Green eyes raked over his face hungrily.

“Eli. My name is Eli.”

“Alec. We’ve got five floors before we get to a garage. Down. I go first. They’ll hesitate to shoot me.” 

Eli felt his mind spin. He’d not even felt a jolt of connection. Everything he’d ever read about finding a Soulmate was that it was electric, it sang through your blood like a lightning strike. He’d felt nothing. But Alec -- his Soulmate -- had the phantom blood from where he’d gotten stitches, so it had to be true.

The door to another floor eased open and a tech froze as Alec unholstered the gun in a split second and was aiming it between her eyes. She squeaked and swallowed hard, fingers clutched around a cigarette and a lighter. 

“Eli, keep moving. Go.” Alec nodded down the landing and Eli skirted around the lab coat wearing tech. 

“Marci, right?” Alec asked, smile flaring even as he holstered the weapon.

“Ye- yes. Have you debriefed yet, Double-Oh Six?”

“Nah. Waiting on James. We always do that together. Let’s the Major yell at us once instead of having to do it twice. Say, can I have your lab coat? James spilled coffee on Eli earlier. He’s still shivering. James feels like shit about it.”

“Oh, sure.” She shrugged easily out of the white fabric and passed it to Eli. He glanced at it and then shrugged into it and nodded his thanks to Alec.

“We’ll leave you to smoke in peace. They haven’t fixed the cameras in here yet, right?”

“Like the Major remembers? Yeah right. See you, Double-Oh Six.Oh, and new guy? Every Double-Oh will try and snog you at least once. Enjoy it!”

“Yeah, sure?” He asked before Alec put a hand on his shoulder and nudged him towards the next landing. She waved and they both heard the hiss of a lighter being struck. 

Eli picked up his pace, realizing that they had lost time by the tech surprising them on the stairs. Alec didn’t say anything, but nodded. The laptop bag slapped at his thigh as he hit the last landing and Alec grabbed his left wrist and yanked him out the door into a brightly lit underground garage.

Alec hustled them through the rows of cars, obviously seeking one in particular. He dragged them over to a blue Nissan and let go of his wrist only long enough to drop to a knee and drag a hand under the right side driver door. Out came a small pink magnetic box. He slipped it open and a key fell into his hand. 

Unlocking the driver’s side door he slid in and leaned over to unlock the passenger side door as well. “Get in.” 

Eli didn’t wait to be told twice. He shoved his laptop bag by his feet and put on his seatbelt, figuring it would be prudent. He didn’t know how well his Soulmate drove. Soulmate… the word still sent his head spinning.

They made it out of Six without issue, going through a gate that was only manned by a camera and a keycard operated gate. Alec sailed through without damage to anything and Eli relaxed.

“Tait is going to hate me. She always leaves her keycard and the keys to her vehicle in an area I remember.” Alec flashed that brilliant grin, his green eyes lighting up.

“Okay, now what? I doubt they are just going to let you run away with me. Queen and Country after all.” 

“No. We’ll ditch this car somewhere, pick up another one, and then drive to another part of the city, grab a vehicle out of long term parking and then head to the safe house.”

“Won’t MI6 know all their safe houses?”

“Eli? James and I have been doing this for a lot longer than you have. We have our own network. My phone is in my hip pocket. Pull it loose and check the messages for me. Pass is zero - six - seven - zero.” 

Eli punched it in and a list of text messages was unlocked.

_Any new wounds? J_

_No. Why? A_.

_Odessa Protocol. Tech, TSS, new. Male. Paxton Branford. 1.75 m, br br. Specs. Thin. Green cardigan. Blk chq slacks. SHG. 15 Min. Jakarta. J_

_Understood. A_

“How?”

“Your ID. He read it. You managed to brush against him. He is actually sorry. When you gouged your arm, he got the blood, just like I did.” Alec explained taking what seemed to be random turns, leading them away from Vauxhall Cross. He then pulled in behind a woman just getting out of her car.

“Oh.”

“Okay. Pop open her glove box. I think your hands and hers are about the same size.”

Eli did as told and found a pair of tan leather driving gloves. He pulled them on. Eli smiled. They fit. 

“Okay, she prefers neutral colors. It might be feminine cut, but there’s a tan leather trench in the back. Strip off the lab coat and put that on. I’ll pay Tait back for the gloves and coat. Get rid of anything MI6 issued. _All_ of it.”

Eli hauled up his bag, fished out his laptop, handed it to Alec and muttered, “Drop that and I will kill you myself.” 

The Agent started to chuckle and then caught the look in the hazel eyes staring at him. He nodded and clutched the piece of electronics close. Eli pulled out the plain black smartphone, dropped it on the floor, fished out a handful of pens, which he tossed in the same direction, along with his id badge, a notepad, and the charger for the phone. 

He then took the laptop back, shoved it into place, and looked over at the Agent.

“I’ve taken apart the gun multiple times. I need you to do something for me.” A tug of a string around his neck and Alec was suddenly holding a dagger. Eli’s eyes widened.

“At the base of my neck, just toward my left shoulder there’s an embedded tracker. I need you to cut it loose. It’s a good two- two and half centimeters down in the meat.” Alec shrugged out of the jacket he was wearing and unbuttoned a few of the buttons on his dress shirt. He let the shirt slip down and twisted so that Eli would have a clear view of his neck and shoulder.

Eli swallowed but shrugged out of the white lab coat as he took the blade. He drew a deep breath and tugged the man’s collar down. He pried off a glove with his teeth, dropped it on his lap, and then did it again. With bare hands he traced at the base of his Mate’s neck, pressing down firmly until he found the small lump. He knew he couldn’t ask Alec to wriggle out of the shirt entirely, they were doing this on a side street in bloody London in the middle of the day. He frowned and then sliced off the sleeve of the lab coat and set it aside. Taking the rest of the jacket, he shoved it between Alec’s skin and the shirt. He expected this to be bloody. He poked the hard lump for a second and then took the dagger and pressed down beside where the top of the implant started.

Blood ran and he felt the brief sting against his own flesh. Alec only drew a breath. “She had a sewing kit in the car when I dated her. And floss. Cut it out.” 

“I’d--”

“Fine, get the sewing kit and the floss. I’ll string the needle. Get this out of me. If they can find me, they will find and kill you. I can bear a little bit of pain. Angle the tip. Do you see it?”

Eli dug into the glove box and found the sewing kit, floss, and a pair of tweezers.”This isn’t exactly sanitary.”

“Cut it out of me.”

“It looks like I could pull it loose with the tweezers.”

“Do it. Whatever you need, just get it out of my flesh.” Alec insisted. Eli handed him the sewing kit and the dental floss he had found.

Eli swallowed and sucked in a deep breath. He had seen one of these in a tube in Medical. The nurse had showed him what they ‘tagged’ Agents with, bragging really, during his initial physical. He grabbed the tweezers, remembered where he’d seen the bit of silver before blood had covered it and used the tip of the dagger to dig as Alec had said. 

The bit of metal came up. He grabbed with the tweezers and tugged. Alec hissed a breath through his teeth. The bit of metal was in his hands now. He was rather glad that he hadn’t tried to pop the thing loose by squeezing. It wouldn’t have come loose. 

Taking the needle from Alec, he frowned. “How do I do this?”

“Stitch the muscle closed where you just ripped out the tracker. Doesn’t feel too big. If you can stitch small, two or three stitches should close it. Then stitch the skin shut.”

“All right. This isn’t exactly easy to see, and there’s going to be blood all down the back of your shirt, you realize that, right?” Eli wasn’t certain if the destroyed lab coat caught most of the blood and wasn’t about to stop and check either.

“Get on with it, Eli. The longer we sit here, the closer _they_ get to us.” Alec snapped. Eli jumped and bit his lip. But he plied the needle, being as careful as he could, drawing the floss completely through and making neat little criss-cross stitches. He tied it off and then used the knife balanced across his knees to cut the floss as closely as he could to the stitches.

He then stitched the incision he’d made closed and wondered what to use to clean up the blood and use to cover the wound. He glanced down at the white lab coat sleeve and used the dagger to cut a strip of the remainder loose. He dug into his bag for a moment and came up with black electrical tape. 

Taping the makeshift pad into place, he grimaced at the mess. There was blood all along the folded lab coat, but not the back of Alec’s dress shirt. It had bled rather a lot, especially since he had to dig it out.

Eli dumped the bloody, mangled lab coat to the floor. Alec held a hand back for the needle and dagger. He passed it over. Dropping the tracker on the floor, he stepped on it. Alec grinned as it crunched under foot.

Eli went back to the glove box, having spotted the bottle of water in there. With the water and a pocket square that Alec produced, he wiped away the blood from Alec’s skin and the knife. After cleaning his own hands, he tugged the gloves back on.

Alec shrugged back into the slightly more bloody shirt and rolled his left shoulder. “That’ll do.”

“What’s next?” 

“We leave the car, find a charity shop and get you a rolling suitcase. And then we take a cab elsewhere. Now, coat, Eli.”

Eli did as instructed, knowing that there was now phantom blood on the back of his shirt. He slung his laptop bag over his shoulder and stuffed his gloved hands into the jacket’s pockets. He paused when he bumped a bit of fabric. It turned out to be a grey knit stocking cap. He tugged it on and then followed his Mate into the crowds, keeping his head down.


	2. Равновесие

_"Soulmates are the highest joy any MI6 employee can find, even Queen and Country come second to a Soulmate. [See additional materials for specific details]._ ~ MI6 Handbook, _Family, Soulmates --Policies and Procedures_.

***  
Eli and Alec stepped into an OxFam shop and Alec smiled. “I’ll hold your bag, _мальчик_. Go. Suitcase and at least a few dress shirts and trousers.”

Eli passed over his laptop with a slight twitch and then vanished into the shop proper, diving into the racks of clothing. He nodded politely to the counter girl who had to be over the age of sixty. He slung the laptop over his shoulder and tapped at a pair of silver cufflinks that lay on a navy blue handkerchief.

“Oh, these? Precious really.”

“They’d suit a friend of mine. And my partner is buried in the racks already.” Alec smiled and shook his head fondly. He blinked when he heard a noise that reminded him of James finding explosives. He grinned.

“I’d better help him. Or I will end up having to stare at some awful cardigan that is just the wrong colour. I’ll be back for those.” Alec tapped the counter over the cufflinks and waited for her to smile and adjust her horn rimmed glasses before he vanished into the racks.

“Alec! Look at this.” The sweater was a cable knit in a deep blue colour. It had pockets and black toggle closures. It was something he’d have expected James to like. Eli held up the cardigan and Alec grunted. It wasn’t ugly. It was bland. It would probably hit past Eli’s arse though, so he nodded.

Most of the dress shirts Eli found were either navy blue, pale blue, or white. Trousers ended up being wool in sensible colours -- tan, black, navy. Though there was one pair that was directly out of the seventies and was an avocado green and white paisley.

The suitcase was a simple black hard case rolling upright. Alec nodded, tested it once or twice by kicking it and then sliced through the zip ties holding it shut. He made sure the fastenings closed and then wheeled it up front.

Alec paid for everything in cash and they bundled the purchases all into the suitcase and rolled it out with them. It saved on paper, as Eli so helpfully pointed out.

Ducking into an alleyway, Alec reached into an inner pocket of his jacket and pulled out a strip of airline luggage tags -- the printed strips. Eli just raised an eyebrow. Alec shrugged. “Sometimes we have to send our bags elsewhere. So TSS sends us out with extras.”

Applying them to the new suitcase and one to the laptop bag Eli still held, Alec then guided them down the alleyway and lifted a hand to hail the cab, still wheeling the case behind him. They got into the vehicle and Alec grinned.

“Big Ben?” His accent was suddenly much thicker, and he looked eagerly at Eli, green eyes pleading.

“The Clock Tower, please. My friend has never seen it in person.” Eli requested, getting the role that Alec was playing instantly.

The cabbie nodded and headed in the right direction. Eli blinked when he was tugged against Alec’s side and more or less cuddled, but he enjoyed the feeling as he pointed out various landmarks to Alec, treating him like a tourist.

“Ruling idiots?” Alec asked, pointing towards Parliament. 

Eli snickered as the cabbie called back, “That’s accurate enough, mate.” 

Alec insisted on paying, and grabbed Eli’s wrist even as he seemed to stare up at the giant tower. Eli glanced around, mentally picking up the various CCTV cameras. He muffled a squeak when he was tugged under Alec’s arm and took the suitcase to leave Alec’s gun arm free. They strolled along, Eli remaining in his role as local, explaining to a tourist.

The sudden puff of dust over Eli’s shoulder had Alec crowding him close into the wall and covering him with his body. He opened his mouth and a brown gloved hand pinned him into place.

“Fuckng shit. Sniper. They just _shot_ at you. Shop to our left. Should empty out on the alley. Move _with_ me. On three.” Alec met wide hazel eyes and Eli nodded.

Eli moved with Alec and they stepped into the shop with the suitcase clattering behind them. The shopkeeper was absent when the bell chimed. Alec quartered the shop with his gaze and found no one. He pointed towards a door marked “Employees Only”. 

Herding Eli ahead of him, they slipped into the room and he heaved a sigh of relief. The door to the outside was a straight shot back. Eli picked up his pace and reached for the handle. Alec slapped his hand away from the bar and shouldered his way through. 

In the alley was a black MINI Cooper. Alec pulled his gun, wrapped it in his jacket and broke the driver’s side window. Popping the lock he jerked open the door and slid in. A few ripped out wires later and the car hummed to life. Eli crawled in, shoving the suitcase on the tiny back seat. He had just enough time to fasten his belt before Alec shot down the alley and then onto the street. 

“So much for my promising career in espionage.” Eli muttered, clutching his laptop to his chest as Alec cut in front of an iconic red double decker bus. “Bloody maniac! Where did you learn how to -- fucking shite!”

He heard the crunch of fiberglass meeting metal behind them. He twisted around to look. A Mercedes and a LandRover had collided trying to avoid the MINI.

“Breathe, _мальчик_ you are alive. We are unharmed.” 

“The owner is going to get a fine! I hope you realize that!” Eli spat. Alec actually _shrugged_ Eli spluttered.

“I am a Double-Oh, Eli. This is mild.”

“I pity your handlers.” Eli moaned as the car was swung into an alleyway and parked. Wires were untwisted and Eli slid out of the car and reached in the back for the suitcase. He flinched as a bullet cracked the windscreen. 

Alec was already out of the vehicle and spun, weapon rising with his arm. He fired once and a hole bloomed between the man’s hazel eyes. He holstered the Ruger at his back and stalked up to the man. 

Eli gagged and then swallowed hard, forcing the bile back down. His head spun, but he managed to gasp out, “I’m good. I think.”

Alec nodded. “Breathe through your mouth. Not your nose.” 

He grabbed the now dead Double-Oh by the wrists and dragged him behind a grey metal bin. Alec paused only long enough to retrieve the weapon the man had fired and the concealed holster at his right side. Checking the weapon he turned back to Eli.

“Can you fire a weapon?”

“I haven’t been field rated yet, but if it doesn’t kick much, I’m usually pretty good.” Eli managed.

“This is a Taurus 709. It was Derek’s signature piece. You have seven rounds left. He always carried one chambered. The holster will fit between your pants and your trousers. It’s set for your right side, cross draw.” Alec holstered the weapon and handed it over. Eli shoved it into it’s spot, twisted a bit and tugged his shirt over it.

“You shot another Agent?”

“Newly promoted Double-Oh Three. If he went for you, he was dead before he ever fired a shot.” Something went cold in those green eyes. Eli shivered but nodded once. The man had killed to protect him. It would not be a crime in any jurisdiction on the planet. A Potential Mate was practically _sacred_. 

Alec then turned back to working on hiding the body. He fished out bags of rubbish and piled them on top of the body. He met Eli’s hazel eyes and gestured with his chin towards the mouth of the alley. Eli nodded and once more followed after his Mate.

* * *  
A black cab dropped the pair off at Gatwick. Alec led them to the long stay parking. Down to level E and along Row 12. He fished out keys and a dark blue Mercedes chirped cheerfully, lights briefly flashing. Eli blinked when Alec made a noise of surprise.

Alec led him over to the car and pulled open the door. When the boot popped open, Eli dropped the wheeled case into the back and then slid into the passenger seat. He fastened the seatbelt without hesitation and tucked his laptop between his feet on the floor.

“Glove box again, if you please, мальчик.” Alec instructed. Eli popped it open. A manila envelope rested in the box. Eli pulled it out. Once again the dagger was offered and he slit the envelope open. 

Shaking the documents into hand, he showed them to Alec. A black smartphone and charger slid into his lap as well. He blinked at the phone.

“Plug it in. James will be using the phone that matches the partnership papers filed under Aric Stafford and James Donne.” 

Eli did as instructed while Alec tucked passport and license into his wallet, pulling out the identity papers for Alec Trevelyan and pushing them in Eli’s hands. Alec then pressed a button to roll down the window and fished the phone he had been using up until now free. He dropped it into the road and checked the rearview to ensure one of the back wheels had gone over the piece of tech in question. Eli made an unhappy noise.

“It was a burner. I no longer need it. This one will be secure because it’s one that James set up for us when he got the car.”

“Isn’t that a liability?”

“You saw the original messages, he mentioned Jakarta. For us, that means he was going dark, and that you are the most valuable thing to us both. The phone he had been using would be dead. What I haven’t said until now, other than that mention of partnership papers, is that James Bond and I are a Mated Pair. We bonded in Jakarta in mid-April of 2006. We were on mission. We managed to bond and complete the mission. We have hidden it from Six for nearly five years.” 

“How do I fit?” Eli asked, frowning as the streets of London rolled by.

“When James brushed against you, he realized that you were _равновесие_. He would call you _cothrom_. Balance, equilibrium. Our sanity. A triad is stronger than a pair. James sent me to get you out. My entire duty right now is to keep you safe and happy. Nod if you understand me.”

Eli nodded and swallowed. Anchor. The proper, politically correct term, was Anchor. They were rare. Or rarer than the normal Soulmate Pairs. One in every four Pairs had at least two Potential Anchors. He shook his head. He’d felt _something_ when both Agents brushed against him. A small zing. But, Anchors were cherished.

“You are _more_ than a simple third to us. Vesper Lynd would have been our sanity, if she hadn’t been a traitorous bitch. She could have broken James, the near drowning almost killed me too. Because James just about bit the bullet on that one.” Alec’s hand tightened around the wheel and he drew a shuddering breath through clenched teeth.

“How can you be sure?”

“James was. I felt it too. There’s a warmth in my gut, an urge to see you safe and happy and protected. It’s been building. I’ve been sharing the same air as you, keeping you safe. The bonds are setting in slowly. James can probably manage for three days before he has to find us or his sanity _will_ snap. And insane with our training? Six is risking a minefield. And they don’t know it.” The smile that Alec gave was brief but lethally amused.

“And if you had informed Six of the fact that both you and James had bonded?” Eli asked, frowning.

“Another Agent would have been assigned to kill one of us, knowing that it would tip the other into stormdeath, when whichever of us stopped breathing. Paired are seen as a liability. Especially in field agents. It gives us a weakness that can be exploited. That is why they refuse to allow us to bond.”

“It doesn’t help that when anyone finds their Soulmate the pair are driven into seclusion so that no one can disrupt the bond as it forms.” Eli responded, eyeing the nicer community as it developed around the vehicle. The Mercedes was blending in, fitting the surroundings. Eli glanced down at what he was wearing and frowned.

“They will think badly of me, мальчик. Not of you. Some partners stray.” Alec shrugged his uninjured shoulder. Eli glanced over, unease pooling in his gut. Anchors were supposed to be protected and cared for by both partners. It was what made a Triad stable.

Alec misunderstood the look,“We ignore what we must do on the job. If it is required of us to sleep with a Mark for Queen and Country? We do it so that we can come home. We slept around at the office to maintain our covers. Didn’t mean anything to either of us.”

“I understand that. Meaningless sex, it’s part of your job. But, shouldn’t James be here?” Eli asked, then the smartphone chimed. He reached for it to keep Alec’s hands on the wheel.

“Same pass as before.” Alec said turning down a street.”Read it to me.”

“It’s one word.” Eli frowned. “Volk.”

“Волк.” Alec corrected, the Russian word rolling off his tongue. He smiled as he turned the car into a drive and parked the vehicle in a two car garage. The door whispered down. Alec reached out and cupped Eli’s chin.

“It means ‘wolf’. It has always been James private nickname for me. In public he uses мудак when referring to me. I call him a bastard. It works out; we insult each other. No one at Six realizes we are more than something like friends, as Danielle once put it.”

“Will you and James maintain that cover with me as your Anchor?”

“That is something the three of us should discuss. What would make you safest. Can I have the mobile now?”

Eli passed it over and Alec tapped something in with a faint smile touching the corner of his lips.

“Самогон. Or Moonshine, moonlight to my wolf.” Alec explained before he slipped from the car. Eli sat for a second, amused that two of the deadliest agents in the history of MI6 had pet names for one another. He then grabbed his laptop bag and the rolling suitcase and followed Alec through the door and into the townhouse.


	3. Волк

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> NSFW Material!!

_“It causes pain for a Soulmate to inflict damage on his or her Mate. Only in extreme circumstances has it been recorded that Mates harm one another.”_ Trevor Capperton’s _On Soulmates and Soulbonds_

“Code for the alarm is two-two-zero-four-two-zero-six. If we end up having to change it, James or I will make certain you know as soon as it’s swapped.” Alec said before his hand blurred and was suddenly full of weapon and Eli was pushed back towards the door they had just come through. 

“Alec.” The voice was unfamiliar to Eli. But Alec’s arm lowered slightly. A shadow detached itself from the other doorway in the entryway.

“I should shoot you, bloody bastard.” Alec growled. His gun was holstered again. Eli watched as Alec remained tensed.

“House is secure. I did a walk through.” Blue eyes cut to where Eli hovered at the door, half in the room, half in the garage.

“And nearly gave me a fucking heart attack!” Alec snarled even as James moved forward, the hand that had been holding a gun moments before sliding into Alec’s hair. Black leather contrasted sharply with his blond hair.

“Have you kissed him yet?”

“No. I haven’t.”

James’ mouth slid over Alec’s. Eli pressed himself against the doorjamb and just watched, not moving. He blinked when James broke the kiss and turned his head to stare, unblinkingly at his face.

“Sorry about the coffee. I’m Bond, James Bond.”

“Eli Branford. And Alec said something about you fixing the hatchet job he _made_ me do while getting his tracker out.” Eli responded.

James switched his attention to Alec. “You made him cut your tracker out? Imbecile. Tait is seething by the way. They found the car. They were wondering if you’d killed him when they first saw the lab coat.” 

“Nope. He did as I told him to.” Alec stepped back from James and turned to Eli. “Come on, upstairs. This will be easier in the kitchen, better lighting. And a full kit.” 

***  
Eli looked around the room. There were no walls between living/dining or the kitchen. Clear lines of sight through the entire floor. He paused when a gloved hand landed on his shoulder. 

Light bloomed from where a switch was clicked. Warm honey coloured wood spilled out across  
the floor, anchoring the black leather sofa and chairs that made up the seating area and the deep green cloth that covered the dining table, surrounded by the same honey coloured wood for the chairs.

Black and gold marble glowed from the island that split the kitchen from the rest of the room. The art was minimal, almost feeling like an afterthought, stark black and white lines on large canvases.

“Head for the kitchen. Eli? There’s a metal bin over by the bar. Liners should be in the bottom cabinet behind the bar.” James said. Eli went where he was instructed, finding what he was asked for.

He watched Alec shrug from the jacket and Eli crossed the floor, setting the metal bin and liner aside to help ease the jacket off his shoulders.

“You bled through the pad, Alec.”

“I killed someone today, мальчик. Of course I bled through your work.” Alec snorted as James moved around on the other side of the island, having vanished through a door and then back with an orange duffle bag. He set it on the counter and unzipped it, fishing out a pair of shears.

“Face down, Alec, over the counter. Who’d you shoot?”

“Derek. He _shot_ at Eli.”

“Dead?”

“Do I miss? Especially at that range?” Alec asked, laying himself over the counter and keeping his arms still as the shears slid through his collar and down the rest of bloody shirt. 

“How close, Alec?”

“Within two meters.” Eli said. He met the cold blue eyes with a sober face and watched lips purse for a moment before admiration flared, softening the icy gaze.

“Line the bucket and set it up here, Eli. I’ll take it with me when I leave.”

“Don’t touch James, Eli. I’m guessing you need to be mobile for a few days yet?”

“Yes. At least two. If he touches me, it’ll sink deeper. They haven’t found Double-Oh Three yet. Scarlett took a shot at Eli, sent you running from what I was told.” Black leather gloves were stripped off and laid aside. Water ran in the sink and the sound of James washing his hands filled Alec’s ears.

“Been in contact with the Bitch then?”

“Yes. Rather neat stitches… but why the bugger did you use dental floss?” Surgical gloves snapped into place and the sodden makeshift pad was ripped off in one jerk and dropped into the waiting bucket.

“It was what I had on hand to work with. I had regular thread or dental floss.” Eli snapped, hovering close enough so that he could watch what Bond was doing.

“In that case, dental floss is fine. I’ve had to use regular thread before… tends to fester after a while.” 

“South Africa. You got blood poisoning you bastard.”Alec muttered, hearing James make a clucking noise.

“Going to have to pull these loose. You’ll bleed again.” 

“Not like that’s anything new, James. I’ve dug bullets out of you in the past. Get on with it.” Alec grumbled.

“I was warning Eli.I know you are used to it.” 

Eli watched the white threads be tugged loose by careful hands that he knew where more than capable of inflicting damage, instead of repairing it.

“How many stitches did you put in, internal?”

“Three? I think. He wanted to move so quickly.” 

“Then I’ve got it all. Up. Going to have to rinse your back off. Over the sink. Need to see what I’m dealing with, you idiot.”

“Not Eli’s fault.” Alec muttered, the tattered remains of the shirt caught at his wrists as he shuffled over to the deep farmer’s sink and bent down. The throwing dagger he usually wore down his back slapped briefly against his chest. He hissed when cool water was traced over his back. He knew blood was being washed away. 

“You did well enough, Eli. I’m guessing nothing was sterilized?”

“It was all in a sewing kit, my knife -- ow, bastard that stings -- and a pair of tweezers.” Alec muttered as cloth was dragged across the wound. The soap stung more than the cloth did. Water soaked into his trousers, but he didn’t move. He’d done this for James enough times.

“At least Eli was smart enough to tape something over it before you were shot at.” James said, sluicing more water over the wound.

“I was time crunched. I knew they’d use my tracker and any tech we were carrying to try and hunt us down. I had to get it out. Sue me that I didn’t have exactly the right tools for the job. When the fuck do we ever, James?”

“Rarely. Eli? Go ahead and make yourself a drink or something. I’m going to have to give him a tetanus shot, of course. You used that knife, Alec. Of course you are going to get jabbed.”

“The last time they did that was Station K, eight months ago.”

“You broke the doctor’s jaw.”

“He jabbed me in the arse, bastard. Without warning. So I kicked him.”

“And we are going to make sure you updated. We keep it here. Eli? Utility room to my left. Next to the washer is a cupboard. There’s a hidden mini fridge. Third vial from the right. Top shelf.”

Eli did as instructed, going to the cupboard and tugging at it. He frowned as he realized it was child locked and pressed on the cupboard, popping it open. He then opened the sleek black mini fridge and skimmed through the various vaccines before plucking the bottle that had been requested loose.

Returning to the main room, he set it on the counter. James pulled Alec upright and walked him back to the counter. Alec bent over again and James washed his hands again and switched to a clean pair of surgical gloves. He stitched with quick fingers, blue gaze fixed on his work, internal and external sutures done in different types before he clipped the last thread with small, sterile scissors.

“Now, the docs would tell you you aren’t going to be up for much for at least a week. Eli? Try to keep him down for three days. Give things a little time to heal. And I know I’m asking the impossible.” James said as he stripped off the gloves and tossed them into the bucket. He plucked a syringe and a small book from the bag. 

After consulting the book, he picked up the vaccine and tipped the bottle and inserted the needle. He drew a little more than the correct dose, pulled the syringe loose and tapped it, to make certain there were no bubbles before he pressed the plunger a bit so that the dosage was right.

“Right arm. Unless you want it the same place as in Kiev.” James drawled. Alec huffed and turned his head away. Green eyes met hazel. Alec only grimaced.

James capped the spent syringe, tossed it into the bucket, pulling out a gauze pad and some neosporin. He set the gel onto the pad and then taped it into place over the stitches.

“Come on, Волк. Time for bed.” James murmured as he helped Alec upright, one arm wrapping around his waist. Eli glanced away, suddenly feeling like an intruder.

“Well, since you ripped out Eli’s work, ordered him around like a servant, and stabbed me in the arm, are you at least going to make it up to the both of us by fucking me tonight? I’m sure Eli would like the show, especially since he can’t touch you right now.” 

James laughed, the sound rich. Eli blinked when the blue eyed blond turned to him and smiled. “Would that be acceptable? Alec really likes to be laid out and taken when he actually has down time.”

“Um. If you and Alec are -- ah -- all right with me watching that is.” 

The smirk Alec gave helped Eli to see why James’ favourite nickname for the other man was wolf. He felt green eyes rake across his body like a physical touch.

“We’d get to see you as well, мальчик.” Alec said.

***  
James flipped the lights on and let go of Alec, obviously trusting the other man to be able to stand. Eli edged into the room and James pointed towards a deep blue wingback chair. It was already near the bed, as though someone had spent a night watching over the person tucked into the pile of blankets and pillows.

“Morocco. We haven’t been here for any length of time since that time I smuggled you out of Medical and brought you here to recover.” Alec called, lifting his voice as James disappeared into the bathroom. 

Alec walked to the bed, pulled his holster free and laid it on the bedside table before he flipped pillows out of the way and stuck the gun between table and mattress. “Mattress holster. James and I both have them.” 

Alec tugged open the bedside drawer and reached in. He came up with a handful of wrapped condoms and peered at the dates before dropping the entire lot into the bin under the table. He then emptied his pockets, dropping the fresh condoms into the drawer and then fishing out a tube of lubricant and several packets of the same. He tossed the packets towards the chair and then reached for the flies on his trousers.

Eli let the borrowed jacket fall from his shoulders and kicked it out of the way, towards a corner of the room. He took a tentative step towards Alec and then paused, biting his lip.

“Alec? Allow Eli to help you out of the rest of your clothes. And go ahead and help him too. You did say we’d get a good look at him.” James murmured. Eli paused and arched an eyebrow. He licked his lips when he got a good look at James Bond without apparel.

The man was propped against the doorjamb leading into the bath, defined muscle flexing under sunkissed flesh. He vaguely remembered something about the last mission having been somewhere with nice beaches. Obviously Bond had taken advantage of that fact.

“He’s gorgeous, I know. Always one to make the discerning take a second or third look. And he’s _ours_.” Alec murmured, fingers tugging at the dress shirt that carried phantom blood. Alec’s fingers hesitated as they moved towards Eli’s right hip.

“May I?” Alec asked. Eli paused, confused for a moment, and then he realized Alec was asking about the gun he still wore.

“Of course.” Alec pulled both weapon and holster loose and laid them aside on the bedside table.

Buttons were slipped free. Eli reached for the cuffs of the ruined shirt, and let the remains drop to the floor as Alec tried to push the one he wore off at the same time. Eli shivered as brown leather gloves scraped across his flesh, raising goosebumps. His bare hands traced up his shoulders and paused on the dagger still suspended from paracord. Alec dipped his head to allow Eli to pull the entire thing free. It clattered onto the bedside table as one unit. 

Eli’s hands felt to the flies on Alec’s trousers and he made short work of them. He pushed them down, sinking to his knees so that he could get at shoes and socks. Alec stepped out of the remains of his clothing and reached down to pull Eli back up. 

Swatting a reaching hand away, Eli ran his hands up Alec’s legs, tracing the coarse golden hair up his legs and pressing his hands to his thighs. Alec was already half hard. He licked his lips and looked up to meet wide green eyes.

“Barriers or not, Eli?” James asked as he crossed from the door to the bed, dropping the towel he’d been clutching onto the bed as he crawled onto the flat surface and started to re-arrange pillows.

“Huh?” Eli managed, gaze fixed on Alec’s smug grin. He watched green eyes flutter closed.

“Do you want me to take him with a barrier so it’s a bit neater when you do the same? Because he will want you to fuck him after I do.”

“Alec?” Eli asked, hazel eyes going grey-green and widening.

“No barriers. I don’t want anything between any of us right now. James, you’ll be out for two days at the very least. You need this.” Alec reached down and hauled Eli upright. His trousers and pants were pushed down and Eli dropped again with a glare so that he could pry off his own shoes and socks.

“All right, Eli?” James asked, blue eyes assessing as the dark haired man moved from the floor to the chair, cock twitching slightly as it rested against dark curls. James took a breath and draped the towel over the pillows.

“Sure. I know I’m clean.” Eli managed, dropping into the chair, legs suddenly deciding they no longer wanted to hold him.

“We don’t fuck anyone but each other without barriers.” Alec said, shrugging his good shoulder even as he pried off the brown gloves and let them drop to the floor.

“My results came back clear. So did yours. Bloodwork was good on all three of us actually. I took the time to look.” James smirked and gestured to Alec who walked over to the bed and traced his fingers through James’ short hair. He pulled the other man into a kiss and huffed a surprised breath as James’ hand wrapped around his length and stroked lazily.

Breaking the kiss, James hummed. “He wanted to taste you. Go, let him get an idea of us both, since he can’t touch me without trapping me here, let him get an idea. And kiss him, I want to watch.” 

Alec smiled, even as his eyes narrowed but he returned to Eli. He drew the other man up into a kiss, slow and steady, learning his taste, breathing in the faint scent of earl grey as he nipped and plunged his tongue into the dark haired man’s mouth. 

Eli felt Alec’s cock twitch as the kiss was deepened. He sighed and smiled when Alec stepped back. He let his gaze drift over to where Bond was propped on one arm, watching them both with bright eyes, a lazy hand running up and down his erection.

“Impressive.” Eli murmured, a small smile tracing the corners of his lips as he gently pushed Alec back and sank to his knees. “I’ll have to see which of you can kiss better later. After this is all over.”

“James does.”

“Alec’s better.”

Eli huffed out a laugh. “So I’ll settle for you are both fantastic at it.” 

“That seems fair eno--” Alec’s breath hissed out in a rush as Eli licked along the length of his cock and then swallowed him down without any further warning. Alec held himself still and let his head fall forward to draw in a ragged breath.

Eli hummed and felt the bulk that filled his mouth and the back of his throat twitch. He sucked, making sure his teeth wouldn’t come into contact with the shaft and then slowly drew back, cataloguing the tastes. He’d noticed when James slicked his own pre-ejaculate across Alec’s cock.

Pulling back while dragging his tongue along the underside of Alec’s cock, he catalogued the two flavours. Bond was a bit more bitter, while Alec’s natural flavour was sharp with a hint of gunpowder grating at the back of his throat. He wasn’t sure if that was because Alec had discharged a weapon today or if it were part of his natural makeup.

Sucking in a quick breath, he leaned forward and swallowed again, humming and managing to smirk around his mouthful as Alec huffed out a short sound and Bond said something with a laugh in his voice. He eased back when a bare hand on his shoulder asked for it. Calloused fingers brushed over smooth skin and twisted into his curls.

A soft tug drew him again to his feet. He ducked his head but lifted it when Alec’s other hand cupped his jaw. He hadn’t expected Alec to want to kiss him after he’d just had his mouth on -- well, some men didn’t like to kiss if -- his thoughts scattered as Alec’s tongue invaded and traced the contours of his mouth.

When the kiss broke, Alec eased him down into the chair and smiled. Eli blinked and adjusted his glasses, shaking his head and licking his lips. The rumble of noise from the bed had Eli flinching and staring at the Double-Oh sprawled out.

“I think you broke him, Alec,” James chuckled and reached out a hand. Alec shook his head as he crawled onto the bed and spread himself over the pillows.

James ran his hands across Alec’s back and Eli saw the way Alec shivered under the touch. His gaze followed the other Agent’s hands as they smoothed over the rounded arse and then both thumbs dipped between. Alec hissed out a word in Russian.

“How fast?”

“Hard enough to make me remember,” Alec countered as James lifted a hand and snagged the tube of lube. The cap clicked as he flipped it open. Eli saw him flinch as he poured a stream of the slick liquid directly onto his cock. It was obviously cold.

A dribble of the liquid between Alec’s cheeks caused him to twitch. James shuffled forward onto his knees. Eli licked his lips and let his hand fall to his own cock as James slipped himself between Alec’s cheeks and slid back and forth. He traced his fingers down Alec’s arms and then twined their fingers together. He rocked forward again and Alec shifted his hips. He was arching into each forward, sliding thrust.

“Quit fucking _teasing_ , Bastard, and fuck me!” Alec hissed.

“Look at the Pup, Волк. Look at how wide his eyes are behind those ridiculous lenses. He likes it. He _likes_ the sight of me teasing you.” James murmured, sliding forward and pressing a kiss to the nape of Alec’s neck, nuzzling through the slightly longer blond hair.

Alec turned his head and smirked. “Delicious. And hard. And _ours_.”

“Mmhm. All ours.” James agreed before he shifted his hips and freed a hand. The noise Alec made and the flinch that jerked through his body had James using his weight to pin Alec to the bed. 

Eli’s breathing hitched as Alec snarled and used the hand James had let free to get fingers into the other Agent’s hair and jerk. “Fuck.”

“Be good.” James countered, head bent, waiting for Alec to let go of his awkward grip on his hair. Fingers slid free. James eased upright and used his right arm to brace his weight as he slid backwards and then nudged himself forward with care.

Tension bled out of Alec as James continued to move, pace gentle. Only when Alec was lying pliant and relaxed -- or as relaxed as he could be with James buried to the hilt in him -- the pace changed.

The muscles in Alec’s back and legs bunched and shivered as he obviously fought not to move. His fingers spasmed around James’ own and his green eyes glazed even as he watched the way Eli’s hand moved up and down his slicked shaft, a packet of lubricant opened and discarded, forgotten on the floor.

While still slow, for Eli matched the pace Bond set with his body to the movement of his fist, it shifted from long, languid strokes into Alec to shorter, sharper thrusts. Alec’s breathing became shorter and he swore in Russian and English, a broken noise slipping from his mouth as his hips rocked up.

Alec made a noise in his throat and the hand that was twined with Bond’s clenched. James sped up his pace again, muscles rippling as he shoved himself deep and stilled, head bent, breathing harsh.

Alec’s body shuddered. Eli felt his own cock jerk and hot, wet semen soaked his hand and splashed over his thighs as he came. He let his head loll to the side and met amused blue eyes even as the man drew in a steadying breath and his muscles rippled in a lazy stretch of contentment.

“Enjoy the show?” Alec asked, smile stretching his face, green eyes still sharp despite the utter relaxation in his body.

“Very much.” Eli managed, belatedly realizing he still held his spent cock in one hand. James’ chuckle was amused as he slipped from the bed and into the bath.

***

James tossed the wet, hot towel in Eli’s direction as the mobile he’d dropped on the opposite bedside table rang. He scooped it up as Alec and Eli went still. Eli was in the chair and Alec sprawled lazily on the bed. He swiped it open and pressed it to his ear, standing nude by the bed, completely unconcerned.

Blue eyes went cold, his face smoothed into an expressionless mask. Eli felt his breath still in his throat. _This_ was a Double-Oh. This was the Agent, not the Mate.

“No. Empty. Hasn’t been in months.”

A bitter laugh dripped from his lips and he drew open the drawer, setting the mobile against his shoulder and ear as he drug out a pack of cigarettes, lighter, and an ashtray. He lit a cigarette and set it in his mouth, He let the half crushed pack of Marlboro Reds drop to the bedside table and then pulled the mobile away long enough to cough sharply once.

“Fuck, forgot how horrible these are. Fucking Americans for hooking him on these. They’re shit. No, Mum. I’m staring out a window in a deserted flat, filching a cigarette from a man that will try and kill me when I find them.”

Eli let his gaze travel down James’ body, eyes tracing over muscles and smooth skin, smirking when the man turned when he made a small gesture with a finger, so that he could get a good look at the other man’s back and arse. He might not yet be able to touch, but he could look.

“I know, because that’s what I would have done if you’d sent him after me with Vesper in the mix.” Bond reached over and tapped the cigarette against the ash tray before turning around and drawing on it again. He blew a line of smoke into the air, shoulders still wire tense.

“No, Mum. Wherever they are, it’s somewhere he’d consider safe. Protected. I checked here on the off chance.” Bond turned back and snagged a second cigarette from the pack. He gestured with it towards Eli who paused and shook his head. James nodded and dropped it back on the table.

“As you say, time is vital. I’ll check in at dawn. Yes, Mum. Good night.” James hung up the mobile and tossed it carelessly onto the table before he finished the cigarette and crushed it out in the ash tray.

“What did the Bitch have to say?” Alec asked from where he lay on his stomach, legs still lazily spread from where James had been between them.

“That not having me on a short leash was a price she was willing to pay, so long as Eli ends up at the bottom of the Thames before the pair of you can bond. You are vital. He? Is expendable to her and Six.”

“Where did she think you were?” Eli asked.

“Other side of London, that flat over in the West End.”

“We’ve both used that flat before as a bolt hole. There’s no way --”

“Exactly. And she knows I won’t have GPS enabled, I ripped it out of this mobile deliberately. I assume you could trace where I was via such a thing?” James glanced at Eli. Eli nodded.

“And that proves my point. And my tracker went dead in the Golan Heights. Didn’t have time for them to put a new one in between there and that job they flung at me in that little pisshole in Columbia.”

Alec laughed, amused. Eli huffed. James arched a brow, letting his body language ask the question for him.

“They are operating blind. I find that a sad state of affairs for Her Majesty's Secret Service. Oh, I’m benefiting from it, I realize. However, it’s still poor work.” Eli griped as he pushed up from the chair and rounded the bed so that he could step into the bath, rinse the towel clean and re-heat it to clean up Alec. He also hoped he could find Paracetamol in the cabinet.


	4. Доверять

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> NSFW Warning!!

_Trust is the fulcrum on which a healthy triad functions. Whether Anchor, Guardian, or Reaper, trusting your partners’ is the only way forward. A lack of trust can kill._ ~ Kesterly’s Soulbonds  
***

When Eli stepped back into the room, James was settled into the navy wingback, still gloriously nude, a lazy leonine figure, blue eyes flicking up as Eli moved to the bed. He hesitated for a moment before setting the glass of water and the small cup that contained a pair of Paracetamol tablets on the bedside table. He then crawled onto the bed with the hot, damp towel and reached out a hand. 

Alec twisted his head around and smiled. Eli took one of his hands and traced the damp cloth over his hand and up his arm, to his shoulder. He trailed it along the back of his neck, over to the other shoulder and down that arm as well, wiping away the light layer of sweat that had built up. He then trailed it down and across the other man’s back, and along his legs. He blinked when Alec spread his legs and lifted his hips slightly. Eli was gentle as he dipped the soft terrycloth between Alec’s legs, wiping away the come that had trickled down his thigh.

Alec rolled over and allowed Eli to clean up his groin. He then reached down and grabbed the blankets that had been dragged to the bottom of the bed, tugging them up over both he and Eli. Eli blinked dumbly for a moment or two.

“Toss me the cloth, Eli. You and Alec probably need some sleep I’ll be going to your flat next. M will expect it of me. Do you absolutely _need_ anything from there?” James asked as he stood. He caught the towel deftly and walked towards the bath.

“Not really. Clothes would be nice, but it would be hard to explain why you have them. I have my laptop here. I can’t think of much else.”

“I’ll call Ariela, let her know Aric and I are back in town. She’ll be in, in the morning with fresh food. Is there anything you like food wise? Or that we should eliminate if you are allergic?” James asked, lifting his voice enough to be heard.

“Do you have tea?”

“James drinks nothing but Irish Breakfast and coffee.” Alec murmured with a lazy yawn. “Mind you, for the Irish he has had to be shot twice, stabbed, and on massive amounts of painkillers -- but he _will_ drink it.”

“That’ll work, I prefer Earl Grey, but I can survive for a week on Irish.” Eli grimaced but realized if it was a choice between the right kind of tea and living, he’d settle for the wrong type of tea in the morning.

“James? Tell Ariela to get Earl Grey too!” Alec called, turning his head towards the open door of the bath.

Eli blinked when the man stepped through the door fastening a cufflink. He strode to the bed and reached between mattress and table to pull a Walther from its resting place. He slid it into a holster and then reached for the second phone that lay on the tabletop.

“Any preferences, Eli?” The smile was soft, blue eyes hopeful.

“I’m perfectly fine with Twinnings for brand.” Eli said, peering over the top of the navy and white blanket as he was tugged into Alec’s side, bending his knees automatically as Alec spooned into him. He pulled his glasses off and laid them on the bedside table he was closest to, nudging aside both gun and dagger.

James sighed and shook his head. Alec poked him in the back and Eli jumped slightly. “What?”

“Guardian, Eli. He wants to _do_ something for you. Any favorite brands that you don’t get to have all that often?”

“Silk Road does a lovely Flower Earl Grey. It’s a touch pricey though…” Eli admitted, ducking his head and blinking.

“He blinks like a ruddy adorable owl without his glasses, Alec.” James murmured. Eli flushed and tried to prop himself up on an elbow.

“I’d have you know --” Alec’s hand across his mouth hushed him before he could get into full rant.

“Our Treasure.” James grinned. Even with his bad vision he could see that smile. And he felt something warm settle behind his breastbone. 

“Your Treasure, perhaps. My мальчик.” Alec murmured. Eli nipped at Alec’s fingers and reached for the glass of water and the pills. He shifted around and presented both, glaring until Alec sat up and threw back the pills and drank the water. 

Eli then settled back into the blankets. He blinked when Alec’s hand came over his mouth again. Then James’ voice carried from the open bath.

“Ariela? It’s James Donne. Aric will be landing in London tonight. I’m a few days behind still, ruddy accountants. Would it be possible to stock the house with fresh produce? And Aric has gotten a bit of an affection for Earl Grey. Yes, my usual brand.”

“Mmhm. No, we should be good on the tinned stuff. Yes. That would be lovely. Thank you as always, Ariela. I look forward to seeing you in roughly two to three days, depending on when the accountants have this little issue resolved. Aric may be sleeping when you get in, so just avoid the Master -- ruddy flight out of Beijing with a transfer. Thank you, you are a dear.” James then hung up the phone and Alec moved his hand.

“She’ll avoid this room. If not the entire floor. Eli, can you cook? She’ll have the items for a traditional English Breakfast, most likely steaks, chops, fresh fruits and vegetables, that sort. There’s always tinned soup in the cupboards too.”

“And pasta.”

“You are stuck in bed for the next few days, Alec. No more movement other than to go to the head.” Alec huffed. Eli poked and turned so that he could glare at the man.

“Fine.”

“Yes, I can cook certain things. I’ll be able to keep Alec fed.”

“And yourself.” James returned. Eli just nodded. “I’ll be gone for two days at the shortest, three days at the most. Keep him in bed as much as you can. Use sex. He’s more agreeable about remaining in bed if he’s shagged out. And it will settle the bond between the pair of you.”

“James? He sealed it, as far as I am concerned, when he shot a fellow Double-Oh without so much as blinking. Just as you have sealed your side to me by keeping _all_ of us safe. Take care of yourself out there. Be safe, Guardian.” 

Eli allowed Alec to pull him into an embrace as they both listened to James move through the house. Alec’s smartphone buzzed once and he reached for it. He tipped it so that Eli could see, even if he had to nearly press his nose against the screen without his glasses.

“Anytime the alarm is either disarmed or armed I am sent a text. James has his own code in addition to the standard one. I do as well. Once I’m back on my feet, we can set one up for you too.”

“So, there’s the standard code and then a bit extra?” Eli asked, peering up from the phone with a frown.

“Mmhm. And because of that addition theoretically, I know when each person that has access to the house enters or leaves. James gets the same texts. We’ll get a phone set up for you as well. Now, James did a good job of shagging me out, especially since we both got back from missions and then I was asked to get you out of Six. I just want to cuddle and sleep. Is that all right?”

Even without glasses on, Eli could see that Alec was afraid of disappointing him. Eli rolled his eyes and smiled before leaning forward and kissing the Agent softly. “The pair of you together was the hottest thing I have ever seen in my life.”

“Hotter than certain bits of Brazilian porn?” Alec asked.

Eli huffed out a laugh and curled into Alec’s side. Luxuriating in the fact that neither of them wore anything beneath the sheets, he settled his head on Alec’s shoulder after a glance to check that it was all right with the other man. Alec pressed a kiss to his hair and hummed.

Eli’s eyes popped open a second later. “James said he was going by my place, to snoop around, cause M expected it right?”

“Yes, it would be standard protocol. In case I was stupid enough to give in and go back for something you insisted you couldn’t live without.”

“Great. He’s going to find my porn collection then.” Eli scrunched his eyes up and Alec barked out a laugh even as he yawned.

“Don’t worry about it. James and I --” he yawned again “-- have seen everything in this line of work. Seriously. And nothing that you find appealing would throw us.” Alec nuzzled against his hair for a moment. 

Eli shifted and blinked. Alec remained where he was and Eli snuggled back in.

“Unless it’s extremely weird. And by that I mean sexually attracted to feather dusters weird. There is some truly bizarre porn out there. I almost feel bad for the tech that had to sift through over sixty hours worth of gonzo shemale maid porn. It was a pleasure to kill that man.” Alec shuddered slightly and shook his head.

“Nothing like that. I guess my tastes are pretty normal. Especially when _that_ is used as the measurement.” Eli muttered.

“Good. James won’t tease about anything he finds. He may _ask_ but that’d be because he’s bloody fascinated.” Alec yawned again.

“Alec? Shut up and go to sleep.” Eli muttered. He felt the blond muffled a snicker against his neck before they both settled into sleep.

***  
Eli stirred the soup and kept a close eye on the second batch of bread he had baking in the oven. The scent of vegetable and chicken and spice made the air a wonderful thing when it mixed with that of freshly baking bread. He had noticed the faint scent of lemon polish had hung in the air when he ventured down into the kitchen after the housekeeper had left. He wore a pair of loose black sweats that had been left for him by James and a grey tee of Alec’s.

Wondering if Alec would want crackers with his soup, he slipped into the pantry. An accidental brush of his elbow against a stack of various tinned goods sent things clattering to the floor. He dodged the tin of spam and another of green beans, but muffled a yelp when a can of spray cheese slammed onto his toe.

“Bugger! Ow.” Hissing and hopping, he heard a noise from upstairs and grimaced. Alec had most likely heard that. He used the shelf for balance as he used his free hand to rub at his abused toes. He then hobbled for the stairs to make certain Alec remained in bed.

Stepping into the room, he found the bed empty but the door to the bath was ajar. Eli slipped to the doorjamb. Alec turned with his Ruger in hand, though he lowered it further once he saw Eli. A toothbrush stuck out of his mouth and white foam flecked his lips.

“Back to bed with you, once you are done with that.” Eli said, hazel eyes raking appreciatively down the expanse of muscled flesh bared to his gaze. He caught sight of the predatory grin on the Agent’s face and shook his head, amused.

“No. For one, I am making lunch and items _will_ burn if left unattended. Second, you look like a rather adorable rabid canine at the moment due to the paste. And thirdly, James said you were to remain in bed for a large portion of today.” 

Alec actually pouted as he set the gun on the edge of the sink and turned back to rinse out his mouth. Once his mouth was clear, he spoke, meting Eli’s eyes in the mirror. “You are more bossy than the bloody bastard is when I’m hurt!”

“I am your Anchor, Alec. And if that means I must be bossy? So be it.” Eli glared and Alec blinked in shock. He then smiled and shrugged.

“All right. Fine. You can take care of me. I’ll hobble my arse back into bed.”

“And what a lovely arse it is. Thank you Alec. I’ll bring up soup and bread once I’ve cleaned up the mess I made of the tinned goods.” 

Eli cleaned up the mess he had inadvertently made and then pulled a pair of blue ceramic bowls from the dishwasher and grabbed a breakfast tray. He loaded the tray with soup and still warm bread slices. A small container of butter and a jar of orange marmalade were also placed on the tray along with two mugs. One held coffee, the other was a cup of earl grey. As the buzzer on the oven chimed, he pulled out the pans of bread and set them on the counter. 

After turning off the oven, he carried the tray back up the stairs and sighed in exasperation. Alec was settled in the arm chair that Eli had occupied the night before, still in nothing but his skin. Eli allowed his gaze to trail appreciatively down the expanse of flesh. Alec gave a pleased smirk.

Eli set down the tray and Alec flowed out of the chair, the wound not even causing him to flinch. Eli suspected that was more from training than a true lack of pain, for he caught the slight deepening of the lines around Alec’s green eyes.

“Remember, Alec. Anchor. You don’t have to hide anything from me. I sincerely hope, unless it has to do with Queen and Country, that nothing is hidden from me. The Anchor cares for either of his or her Mates. Whether Guardian or Reaper.”

“James was the only one to care, or even see past the mask, Eli.” Alec said, grimacing briefly before he settled onto the bed.

“I am meant to be your safe haven, Alec. I am supposed to be the one that you can lay it all down before, without judgement or scorn. You can flinch from the pain. The fact that _I_ inflicted that, even knowing it was needed, makes me rather sick, to be honest.” Eli said, settling the food carefully across Alec’s lap.

“I told you to do it, Мальчик. If the blame is on any, it is on me. I knew it needed to be dug out. I _trusted_ you enough not to gut me like a fish. I don’t hand a knife to just anyone. You and James. Only you and James.”

“I didn’t think of that.” Eli blinked and frowned as Alec took up a bowl of soup and selected a spoon.

Alec shrugged when Eli retrieved his tea and settled into the wing back. He made just enough space for a bowl of soup on the bedside table. Setting his mug down, he then grabbed the remaining bowl and spoon. Eli watched as Alec poked suspiciously at the soup.

“Safe haven, Reaper. I can no more kill you than James could harm me.” Eli muttered before he leaned forward and deliberately took Alec’s spoon from his hand and scooped up a bite. He swallowed it and then returned the utensil to the gaping man.

“I wasn’t thinking poison.” Alec denied, spooning up a mouthful.

“You discarded the idea that I would poison you.” Eli returned. “You didn’t _not_ think it.” 

Eli continued eating, ignoring the fact his Mate was staring at him in shock. He reached for his mug of tea and smirked when Alec finally shut his mouth. Obviously the Agent hadn’t expected Eli to make such a deduction. 

“You and James are both Double-ohs. That means you don’t think like a ‘normal’ person, Alec. You constantly assess risk, the potential for danger. “ He sipped his tea. “I don’t think that way, but I can make myself do so. Besides, if I harmed you, James would be harmed through you, and I’d be injured through you. Remember, when I bleed, you and James both do too.” 

“True. it makes us a liability in the eyes of Six, because if one of us can be hurt and the other two of you react…”

“No. It makes you stronger, actually. Both you and James. We can use the way wounds reflect to get an idea of how badly the one taking damage is injured. There are studies across the pond on this thing. Johns-Hopkins has done massive studies.” Eli said, frowning briefly as he realized he’d left his laptop downstairs, sitting on the dining room table. He’d had to look up the studies, but it was a proven fact.

“Well, M does like facts. Perhaps we can use that?” Alec pondered that a moment and then shrugged and reached for the cup of coffee that Eli had brought up with the soup.

Eli made a considering noise as he dipped his bread into the soup and nibbled on a bite. He’d taken about a quarter of what Alec had in his own bowl. But the young man was used to existing on soup and tea. He took another nibble and watched as Alec savored his soup.

Both ate slowly, Alec taking pleasure in his soup. Eli ate merely because he was hungry. He blinked when he switched soup for tea and Alec leaned forward to inspect his bowl.

“You took less?”

“I’m not the one healing from a rather deep wound.” Eli argued primly adjusting his glasses with his other hand.

“We became aware of you because James brushed against you, and then you went and got hurt. The blood showed up for both of us. Because James had only brushed up against one new person, we knew who to look for.”

“You and he are fully Bound. Usually just one of a pair brushing a Potential isn’t enough to sink a thread deeply enough to affect both of you.” Eli shook his head in shock.

“It has kept us alive when one of us should have died. Luckily for the both of us, we are stubborn and dig in with claws when something is important. And, Мальчик? You are important.” Alec’s green gaze was serious.

“As an Anchor. I am your and James’ surety. I’m all right with that.” Eli shrugged, knowing now that he was being inserted into a fully functioning SoulBond. He made a mental note to research Anchors in particular when he got back to his computer. 

“Eli? No. I can see you curling in on yourself. You will not be _less_ to either James or I. You are not a surety. You are a Mate. We will have a Triform SoulBond. Yes, you are a representation of sanity in a time that neither James or I will ever be comfortable speaking of. We know the risks, we are both Agents in her Majesty’s Secret Service. We are two of the very best, but we also know most agents do not survive to retirement age. Before you? We thought we’d both die, with whatever work left undone because some bastard got the lucky shot in on one of us, taking the other out in the process.”

“I really don’t mind, Alec. Most Anchors go through life never finding their Reaper or Guardian. They never Bond. I’m a lucky one.” 

“No, Мальчик. James and I are the lucky ones. This shows me, at least, I’m not entirely broken by what we do. Because if I was, there would be no way for the Bond that James and I have to be strong enough to bend to accept an Anchor. I did look into it, after that bitch Vesper. The SoulBond that has to shift to accommodate an Anchor is mine and James’. It has to be strong enough to accept that you will also be Mate to both James and I without snapping and shattering.”

“And how does that relate to my eating soup?”

“James may be formally recognized as Guardian by the both of us, but I have the same instincts, Eli. It means I will want to take care of you. Even if it is just making sure you eat enough to continue breathing.”

Eli jolted as a buzzing noise echoed through the townhouse. Alec blinked and smirked. “Just the dryer.”

“Oh good, my clothes are dry then.” 

“You do laundry as well? That’ll be a relief to James. He won’t let me _near_ the contraption.” Eli raised an eyebrow and picked his mug up. He went to take a sip when Alec’s hand suddenly covered the rim of the mug.

“I blew up a laundromat in Jakarta. Had explosives in a pocket… they were TSS specialized things, forgot about them, and well… boom?”

Eli blinked and then chuckled. “You blew up… Why?”

“I forgot. It was at two in the ruddy morning, so nobody was hurt. James has never let me near the thing again. Ever.”

“I think I see why. So… cooking and laundry will most likely become my purview. And I should always go through your pockets prior to washing. Noted.”

“We have a housekeeper, Eli. That means we don’t _need_ you to do laundry for us. Ever. James is also capable of cooking. I can make sandwiches. And I have yet to make a kettle explode.”

“Somehow? That doesn’t inspire confidence.” Eli’s voice is dry, even as his eyes are amused. Alec smirked and waited for the dark haired man to set his tea down before he moved.

Alec threaded gentle fingers into Eli’s hair and pulled him down for a kiss. Coffee and tea flavours mixed along with toothpaste and soup. Eli sighed and allowed his eyes to close. The kiss made his brain slow down. When Alec pulled back, he smiled ever so slightly.

Hazel eyes drifting down, he eyed the obvious tent in the sheets. He met Alec’s green eyes and shook his head when the older man tried to move. Alec stilled.

“James said you stay in bed. So? You remain in bed. On your back, legs spread.” Eli said. Green eyes sparked in defiance for a moment before he acquiesced. 

“I want an equal playing field here, Eli. So, strip.” Alec said, keeping his hands by his sides, to prevent from pulling at the stitches.

Eli shrugged. The tee went over his head and he slipped the sweatpants down his thighs, kicking them off. He smirked when he heard the little moan Alec gave. He hadn’t wore pants below the sweats. He then crawled onto the bed, tugging at the sheet with gentle hands.

Alec hissed as the fabric was drawn away. Eli settled himself comfortably between Alec’s legs and licked his lips. He knew Alec was fresh from a shower. Eli decided to tease a bit as he buried his face in the vee between the other man’s thighs. He rubbed his face against the heavy erection and nosed gently at plump bollocks.

Tongue darting out, he took a slow lick from base to tip, cataloging the flavours. The gunpowder was still there, so Eli decided it was inherent to Alec. He closed his eyes as he slowly swallowed the other man down, pausing halfway to suckle and adjust his breathing.

Alec’s hips tried to rise up and Eli’s hands firmly pinned him down. Waiting to see if Alec would stay still, he traced the flat of his tongue along the hot vein that ran the length of his Mate’s cock. The cock twitched in his mouth, but Alec remained still otherwise. Eli smirked and continued until his nose was buried in the close cropped blond curls at the base of the Agent’s prick. Then he swallowed.

Fingers buried themselves into his hair. He felt the slight tug and swallowed again and again. The fingers flexed and Alec managed a strained noise and he tugged gently. Eli remained firmly in place and hummed once.

Alec cursed. Eli did it again. And Alec came with a gasp. Eli pulled back with a smug smirk and licked his lips, chasing the taste.

“Come here, Eli.” Alec murmured. Eli smiled and did as told, crawling up alongside the other man’s body.

He blinked in surprise as he was pulled down into an open mouthed kiss. Obviously, last night was not a one off. Eli shivered when strong hands held him still so that Alec’s tongue could map and plunder with impunity. Even though Alec was the one lying on his back, he was the one controlling the kiss.

Pulling away, Eli sucked in a deep breath, and then another. He blinked and met Alec’s smug gaze with a smile. “You are a fantastic kisser. I will agree with James on that.” 

“Thank you. Now, how about I help with… that substantial problem that is digging into my stomach?” Alec asked, lips curving up.

“I can more than take care of it myself.” Eli denied. Alec opened his mouth. “You are hurt, Alec. No. I won’t risk those opening up.” 

“I can at least jerk you off.” Alec said after a moment, green eyes watchful, hopeful, Eli realized. He shifted slightly and nodded. Gun callused fingers wrapped around his length.

Forcing himself not to buck, he supported his weight on hands and knees and simply allowed Alec the ability to stroke and squeeze, letting the man learn the feel, shape, and weight of his cock and balls. He jerked sharply when Alec’s other hand gently traced fingers along his perineum.

“Feels good.” Eli assured and the fingers returned, this time a little slick and rubbing firm circles. Eli squirmed. The hand on his cock sped up. He groaned and bowed his head as he spilled in Alec’s fingers.

“Mmm.”

Eli’s eyes fluttered open as he lifted his head. He blinked. Alec licked his fingers clean and smiled. Eli bent down and drew Alec into a kiss. Slow and sweet, Eli pulled away and then slid comfortably to the side of the bed, one hand tracing over Alec’s shoulder.

Eli only allowed himself a minute to cuddle before he rolled from bed and slipped into the bath. He cleaned himself up and then returned to freshen up Alec. He then crawled back into bed and cuddled with a drowsy Double-oh.


End file.
